Machar says President Kiir used 7 planes to pursue him to Congo
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October 17, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s former First Vice President,
Riek Machar, has revealed that President Salva Kiir’s forces used 7
different planes to locate and kill him as they pursued him for 37
days from the national capital, Juba, to the Congolese border.
JPEG - 17.5 kb
Riek Machar gestures as he speaks to rebel General Peter Gatdet Yaka
(not seen) in a rebel controlled territory in Jonglei on February 1,
2014. (Photo Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)
Speaking to various radio and TV media outlets from South Africa where
he is currently residing to do medical checkup with his special
doctor, Machar also said he is currently “very fit” and healthy after
being hospitalized in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, for extreme
exhaustion and swollen leg.
“I can now walk another 500 miles,” he was quoted by Kenya media
outlets, as he was mockingly referring to the similar distance he
travelled from Juba to Congo while under constant attacks and was
being pursued by President Kiir’s forces.
He narrated the incident and how he survived, saying President Kiir
set him up at the Presidential Palace of J1 in Juba to kill him on 8
July, but said his small force of about 70 bodyguards who accompanied
him fought hard against hundreds of Kiir’s troops and created a
“situation of stalemate” where the president failed to assassinate him
and instead an arrangement was eventually made for the two leaders to
go to their respective residents.
Machar narrated that President Kiir abandoned his plan to assassinate
him when he realized that all of them, including the president, would
get killed inside the palace by the rival close bodyguards.
He revealed that he had 20 close bodyguards with him inside the palace
and 50 of his bodyguards were outside the palace, adding that among
the 50 outside the palace only 6 survived during the attack by
President Kiir’s forces. But the other 20 close bodyguards inside the
palace ensured his safety.
Machar also described the claims by President Kiir that he was
carrying a pistol on the day of the incident as a “big lie”, adding
that he had not carried a pistol for 25 years since 1991 when he
became chairman of a movement for the first time. He said he used to
carry a pistol or gun when he was a field commander before 1991.
The opposition leader accused President Kiir of attempting to
assassinate him and hired planes and “international killers” who
pursued him up to the Congolese territory. Also ground forces were
attacking him and his forces as planes continued to drop bombs on them
from the air. He said the planes attacked them three or four times a
day every day for 37 days, revealing that President Kiir’s helicopter
gunships also continued to attack them on the side of the Congolese
border before the United Nations extracted him.
The planes involved in the operations of hunting him down on daily
basis, he revealed, were 7 in number and included “one drone, two spy
planes and four helicopter gunships.”
The total number of the days of the violence is 40 days, he said,
including the three days of fighting in and around Juba.
The former First Vice President said planes were hovering over them
every single day, bombarding them, as the hired spy planes continued
to locate them and the helicopter gunships kept on bombarding them,
while they were also fighting on the ground with ground forces
deployed from different directions.
He said a total of 70 of his soldiers were killed during the pursuit
from Juba to Congo.
The government, he said, has a huge debt now to repay for the planes
they hired to try to kill him, saying the operation was “very
expensive”, adding they “regret having not killed me.”
The former First Vice President, who was immediately replaced as he
was being pursued in the bushes, narrated that he had gone through
“difficult terrain” in Western Equatoria, crossing numerous valleys
full of water, some empty with sharp slopes and climbing mountains
through thick “tropical forests” in harsh weathers.
He said he would someday when in government in the future use the
difficult terrain he passed through as a site in which to train his
special forces, saying he had discovered during the pursuit that the
“difficult terrain” of Western Equatoria would be good for training
special forces for his government.
Machar blamed the regional and international community for not
condemning President Kiir’s government for the incident, which he
said, has resulted to the collapse of the peace deal as well as the
transitional government of national unity.
He however added that his faction is for the August 2015 peace
agreement to be resuscitated but said in the absence of a peace
initiative or political process his faction has the right to
self-defence, even if that will lead to changing the current “regime”
in Juba.
He revealed that he will soon travel to Kenya from South Africa to
meet the Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who is IGAD rapporteur,
over the peace process.
(ST)
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17 October 21:30, by Wani khooto
Machar, want to be a rebel yet he complain of how hard life in
bush was. John Garang used to be in the bush with his soldiers 21 yrs
but he did not complain. so how do you want to overthrow Kiir if 37
days was a big deals? this is a clear indication that Machar want to
let Nuer die for his selfish gain. why do want war if you can not be
in the bush yet you need other to go and fight.Nuer wake up
repondre message
18 October 06:34, by Akeen Mangarthon
Another ladder to get into the govt is difficult for Machar at
this time.He keeps using the term resuscitating of Aug 2015 peace as a
gateway for him to have another chance for negotiation and will never
happen to get that chance again.
It is not the first time for him to claim the good things the
govt has done as he was the one doing them.
repondre message
17 October 21:37, by Wani khooto
thanks to few Nuer who can understand this game, i was with my
guys from Eastern Equatoria last week and when i asked some of them
why they want to fight the Government? their answers were funny, that
the are not fighting but just to loot, after some time the will make
peace with gov’ty and given high ranks, only that some guys in their
group become extremist in killing innocent.can you imagine?
repondre message
17 October 22:49, by marie
Wani khooto,
Check your sources, Equatorian are not known for looting. It is
your habit where people loot cattle and other people properties. See
what the army is doing to innocent civilians in Juba. Nobody loves
war, but if you are given no option in live, you have to fight for
your dignity. I have not seen all those in the government in the front
line but children of the innocents.
repondre message
18 October 02:15, by Dinka-Defender-General
Welcome a board Mr. Machar. I walked 5 months to Ethiopia when I
was only 9 years old so don’t cry. You are grown man who wants
presidency by force. Just sow and you will reap you pain. What about
100,000 innocents people you killed in 1991 plus 50,000 innocents
people in 2013? What are they going to say? Nothing... Just take it as
a man and deal with it without complaint.
repondre message
18 October 05:43, by southsudan
Mr. Dinka-Defender-General
You can respond in any way you want. The fact is Dinka and
Nure will always fight for leadership. Your comparison is nothing but
just another complain. I don’t care if your suffering started when you
were 9 years old which to me is a total lie. I want to let you know
that you will continue suffering to the end of your life if we don’t
acknowledge the truth. You can cont
repondre message
18 October 05:48, by southsudan
You can continue to deny but you know what God will
continue to punish – The innocent will suffer but they will always be
accepted to the kingdom of God. I care about people of South Sudan. It
doesn’t matter where you come from – No person should really die at
this time.
repondre message
18 October 05:49, by southsudan
We have fought the Khartoum government as one. Dr.
John Garang had 21 years of war but he was respected by all. His
leadership had a meaning to the people of South Sudan that is why they
was a 99.9% vote for separation.
repondre message
18 October 05:50, by southsudan
Mr. Kiir has done zero for the people of South Sudan. Not only
that, but to his own people and tribe men. A South Sudanese politician
who has been President of South Sudan since its independence in 2011
after the death of Dr. Garang.
repondre message
18 October 06:52, by Akeen Mangarthon
He pushed well for referendum of SS to be conducted and
managed to mobilize you to accept Separation and yet you are not
appreciating him. Your jealous of him doesn’t make you see good things
he did.You pulled him to war when he was trying to complete the
programme of disputed areas of Abyei, Higleg, Kafo-Kangi due to your
power greedy.
repondre message
18 October 05:51, by southsudan
What have he REALLY done the people of South Sudan. He has zero
for his own home town, (roads are poor, education/schools are there
worst, no better hospital, economy is crushing, hunger is killing
people, corruption is at its highest point and you can go on and on).
Let us be honest – Just convince me of what good things has Mr. Kiir
done since taking office.
repondre message
18 October 06:43, by Akeen Mangarthon
NothSudan,
Stop your non senses.Is it only when he employ you that you
will accept him as he has done good things to people like you? It was
the same likes of you who complained when he want refinery to be
extended to Akon in Warrap. You were not showing up when he was a
field commander.
repondre message
18 October 06:51, by southsudan
Akeen Mangarthon
Sorry, my friend. I have a better job and I don’t even
want anything from South Sudan. Have a family, better life but you
guys kill yourselves. I am from South Sudan, leaving in South Sudan
and working in South Sudan. We are hear to tell the truth. If you are
from the Dinka community then you need to educate your community. Tell
them to have a value for life.
repondre message
18 October 07:09, by Akeen Mangarthon
So then stop blaming the president and come clearer.
You mentioned that you have good job and family in South Sudan, so
what is your complaint again and president made it possible to secure
those things for you? you need to have a sense of differentiating
Dinka vs Government in SS. Was raiding of Ethiopian children done by
Dinka? Are attacks at Yei-Juba-Numile raods done by Dinka?
repondre message
18 October 07:19, by Malakal county Simon
Unwanted cannot imposed to lead people’s with
empty brain!!!! His mandate has expires and is time for him to
step-aside and give peace a chance....
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